Hero of My Life
by sarah1711uu
Summary: AU HUMANSTUCK. Caroline just met her friend's cousin. He seems nice. And he is, until she's pulled out of her fantasy. In order to save the bits of Caroline's and her friend's relationship, she seeks guidence from some unusual sources.
1. During the Party

"Caroline, I still can't believe you forgot the extra sleeping bag," the "hostess" and one of my best friends, Isabella, complained.

"I said I was sorry," I countered.

"We can't have sleeping bag boxing with only three sleeping bags," she complained some more. "CC, just go call your mom in the dining room."

"Where?"

"Ugh. You've been to my house every weekend since, what, sixth grade and you still don't know your way around?"

"I barely got my own house down," I justified.

"Whatever. Just go up the stair, then do like a U- turn to the right and you'll be in the kitchen. Cross the kitchen and hang a right. The dining room is right there. No one's really home, so you'll have some quiet to call your mom to get the extra sleeping bag." I rolled my eyes. "Since it _is_ your turn."

"What happened to your spare spare?" Hope, my other best friend asked.

"Brother took it camping," Izzy and I said at the same time.

"In this weather?" Hope asked. I had to admit that it being early March in Pennsylvania wasn't the warmest place.

"Yeah, I know. He's always been crazy, as you guys know," Izzy ranted. "I mean, why can't he get some common sense?" Hope and I shrugged. "Will you go call your mom now?"

I stood up from the pillows that Izzy and I scattered across the basement floor. I climbed up the stair, nearly tripping on my long blue pajama pants several times. I pulled my phone out of my large pockets as I entered the kitchen. I pressed my finger to the screen and unlocked it. I entered the dining room as the passcode screen popped up. I stopped walking and made no move to type my passcode.

It was a pair of black jeans that stopped me. My eyes traveled up to see a dark gray sweater, pale skin and messy black hair. His hair looked like it was a lot longer than it was because his bowed head made most of his hair fall in front of his face and eyes. He slowly looked up from the phone in his hand. Our eyes connected and we stared at each other for a minute or so, taking in all the details of the other.

I noticed his slightly sunken in face, but a curl of my brown hair fell in my face and blocked some my vision. I reached up to move it, but he moved his arm a bit as if to stop me. I saw my blue eyes reflect in his eyes. I blushed a bit as he did, but we didn't look away. I felt so enchanted at the encounter that I almost missed Izzy yelling at me.

"Hey, CC!" Izzy called. "Did you call your mom yet?!"

I slowly turned my head to answer, not breaking eye contact until I could barely see him. I fully turned my head to yell back, "Not yet! Just give me a minute." I quickly spun around to a pair of gray socks and black jeans sprint up the stairs. I sighed at the now known fact that I would probably only see him in my dreams now. I had been so enchanted at the moment and the recall that I didn't realize Izzy walking towards me.

"Are you okay?" She asked. I spun to face her.

"Yeah. Yeah. Hey, quick question. Do you have cousins?" I asked.

"Yeah. I mean, who doesn't? Why?"

I faked my answer, " 'Cause, girl, I totally saw someone who looked just like you yesterday, when I went to the store."

"Well, they wouldn't have been my cousin, then."

"What?!" I was quite shocked. I knew the guy had been family, but cousins? "Do my ears deceive me? Your cousins don't like you?" I examined her dirty blonde hair, tanned skin and green eyes. She defiantly didn't look like the black hair and pale skin boy I saw moments before.

"I mean, your cousins don't look like you," she said as the door bell rang.

"PIZZA!" We shouted as we ran, well - she ran and I followed - to the door. We got the pizzas and sodas and headed back down to the basement. I turned my head a little as we reached the top of the stairs and saw the guy again. I stopped for a second before I followed Izzy down the stairs.

"Finally! I'm staving," Hope said, grabbing the pizzas. She flipped open the lid to the top one, grabbed two slices and set the other box on the pillows. She started to stuff them into her mouth when there was a knock on the basement. We looked at each other. The door opened and the guy came down the stairs. He did look at me once before looking at the pizzas.

"Aunt Clare said I gotta share a pizza with her," he said quietly. We looked at Hope before she grabbed the bottom box and held it out. He grabbed it and said, "Thanks." He went up the stairs without another word, or noise.

"Who the freak was that?" Hope said after she swallowed her huge bite.

"That was my weirdo cousin," Izzy shook her head, ashamed.

"Why is he here?"

"He's staying with us until he can go back home," Izzy looked a bit sad.

"Uh-huh. What's wrong with his house?" I asked.

"He said he needed to come here for a while." Izzy quickly shook her head. "So, are we gonna eat or not?" We ate the pizzas by the time my mom showed up with the extra sleeping bag. When I brought it down, Izzy and Hope had decided that we would box after we watched a movie or two and told stories.

"Okay. That one was pretty good," I began.

"You have a better one?" Izzy crossed her arms.

"Actually, I do." I smiled as I began my story. It was a spin-off of a story I read online, so I knew it would be just the right amount of scary. As I finished, Hope was rocking back and forth. "Geez, I'm sorry, Hope. I didn't mean to scare you. I just was trying to make it scary."

"Way to go, CC," Izzy rolled her eyes. Somehow, Izzy was able to calm Hope down enough for us to say goodnight before falling asleep.

* * *

I woke up to see the guy standing over me. I got freaked out and backed away from his flashlight. He tried to hush me without making noise. He pointed up and I nodded. I climbed out of my sleeping bag. We walked up the stair, but I tripped towards the top. He quickly turned off his flashlight as I heard Izzy stir.

"CC, where you going?" She asked.

"I need some water," I said, putting pressure on my busted lip.

"Okay. Just come back soon." With that, we finished climbing the stairs and closed the door. We walked into the kitchen where he turned on the light. I blinked a few times as my eyes adjusted to the light.

"Well, [freak]! I didn't mean to make you trip," he said, examining my busted lip. He got a napkin and got it wet. He passed it to me. I placed the cool napkin on my bleeding lip. "Now I feel so [freaking] bad. Geez. I'm so sorry."

I giggled, "Stop apologizing already." He closed his mouth. "Wow! That shut you up." I giggled some more from the little sleep I got between the time I fell asleep and the time he woke me up. "So, you got a name?"

"Well, duh, [freakbutt]. It's..." he paused. "What the [heck] is yours?"

"I'm Caroline, or CC, as Izzy calls me," I smiled. "So, what is your name? I'm guessing your last name isn't Lambert." Izzy's last name is Lambert.

"No, it's not. It's Vantas. I'm Karkat Vantas."

* * *

**DUH DUH DUN! R&R PLEASE R&R**


	2. If I could, I would

...

"No, it's not. It's Vantas. I'm Karkat Vantas." I blinked a few times before I fully comprehend what he just said. I couldn't believe I actually got a first and last name out of him. I thought for sure he would flip me off with something like, "[Freak] you!", but no. I got a legitimate response, totally understandable.

He sighed and I turned my attention back to the present. "I knew I shouldn't have told you. You're one of the crazy fangirls of Home-[freaking]-stuck."

"Home-what?" I asked, although I was a huge Homestucker.

"You're blushing. You are one of those [poopy] fangirls. Just go back to Izzy and never talk to me again," he turned away.

"Karkat," I grabbed his arm. "I may be a fan of Homestuck, but I'm not crazy. I respect people," I said. He slowly turned to me.

"Are you serious or are you trying to pull my [freaking] leg?"

I made my face straight, "I'm more serious than Sburbs and the meteor."

I guessed I made the right answer because Karkat slid into a chair as I did. "I'm glad at least you won't harass me like all my other friends."

"Friends?"

He face-palmed before saying, "Yes. You know, moirails?"

"No. I understand friends. It's just I never became friends with someone our age so fast." He blinked under the light as he smiled.

"I'm just so happy," he said, a tear falling from his eyes.

"Can you not crying then?" I asked, afraid that I would upset him. He wiped it away as he muttered a "sorry". "Just don't do more of the [crap], okay? No girl likes a cry baby friend. A boyfriend, well, that's a different story."

"Are you asking me out?"

"Oh, no. Of course not." I tried to dismiss the issue, but... "Like I was saying, boyfriends that cry are super sexy. I mean, who wouldn't want a sensitive boyfriend?"

"No, seriously. Are you or are you not asking me out?"

What I said next was my true feeling-which I wanted to hide,but the lack of sleep spilled them, "Well, yeah. I mean you're hot and I'm guessing you have some abs under that sexy sweater." Before I could stop myself, I went on, "And I don't care if Izzy doesn't like it. I want to be your [freaking] matesprit, Karkat!"

The next few moment didn't come back to me until later that morning. Karkat slowly made his way over to me and kissed my on the cheek. I grabbed him and gave him a full-out make out session. We held this until the need for oxygen happened. We pulled apart. He smiled at me and gave me a quick kiss, on the lips, before he said he was going back to bed.

"Don't go yet," I reached out to him. He stopped, came back and gave me a kiss on the top of my head.

"Go to bed. We'll talk in the morning." He left me alone in the kitchen. I couldn't remember what happened next, but I remembered waking up at about two hours later, five in the morning. I shot up, feeling springs move. "What the [freak]?"

"CC?" I heard Karkat ask. I turned my head to my right, seeing the familiar messy hair. I quickly glanced down at myself. I was quite satisfied when I realized I still had my t-shirt and pants on. "CC? Is that you?"

"Yeah, Karkat. Go back to sleep. I need to go downstairs before anyone notices me," I said, climbing out of the bed. He faced me.

"Just come and talk to me today," he said, then I quietly left and went to the basement. I was careful to not make noise as I slid back into my sleeping bag. I was successfully asleep for about four hours before I woke to yelling. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as I stumbled out of my sleeping bag. I managed to get up the stairs without tripping and flung the door open. I face-palmed when I saw who was yelling.

"I don't care about your [freaking] pancakes. It's my party, my decision," Izzy complained. I rolled my eyes.

"Aunt Clare doesn't give a [dang] about your [freaking] party. She said she would make pancakes for me!" Karkat shouted, right as Mrs. Lambert came into view.

"Izzy, I did promise Karkat pancakes for today," she said. "And you can have whatever you want for tomorrow, since CC is staying the night." She turned a bit and saw me. "Oh, CC! Wanna help make pancakes?"

I glanced at Karkat, who gave a slight nod, then at Izzy, who gave me the death stare. "Um, I guess so." I closed the door to the basement as I followed Mrs. Lambert into the kitchen. I heard Karkat's socks hit the linoleum floor. We started on the first batch. After a couple of minutes, Karkat side-stepped right, towards me. A few more minutes later, he moved closer again. This happened until he stood right next to me.

"CC, I'm sorry," he began.

"For?" I asked, giving him a sideways glance.

"For making you follow me. You know," he pointed up. I blushed at the vague memory of feeling his warm body under the same blanket. I moved my hair away from the right side of my face. I glanced up from what I was doing to out the window above the sink.

A boy with messy-about as messy as Karkat's, brown hair and red and blue 3-D glasses hopped the waist-high hedge that lined Izzy's backyard from the woods. He ran towards the back door. I followed him for about three seconds before giving Karkat a glance. He seemed excited, but angry. The only reason I could come with, for this mix of emotions, was that the boy running across Izzy's backyard was Karkat's long-term best friend, or moirail. As he approached, I noticed his hair stuck out in mainly two spots, the sides of his head, rather than Karkat's, which kind of stuck out wherever. He banged on the back door and Mrs. Lambert got it.

The first thing I noticed was his lisp, "Ith Kk here?"


	3. One Misstep

...

The first thing I noticed was his lisp, "Ith Kk here?" He tried to peek in, but Karkat hid behind me.

"Uh, CC? I think you should talk to him," Mrs. Lambert suggested. He seemed taken back at "CC", instead of "Kk". I nodded and moved to my left about three feet, just enough to be visible in the doorway.

"Uh. Hey?" I somewhat asked. He cursed under his breath.

"I thought thith wath where Karkat liveth," he said.

"Um, it is. Why do you want to talk to him?" I asked, hoping he would leave soon.

"I need to talk to him about thtuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Jutht let me talk to him!"

"He's unavailable at the moment..." I started to say.

"What do you mean? I thee him right there!" I shut my mouth. I backed away from the doorway for a moment.

"Um, Karkat, what do you want me to tell him?" I whispered.

"Tell him to leave me the [freak] alone," Karkat whispered back.

I went back to the doorway, "Yeah. So, he says to leave him alone and all that jazz."

The guy standing on the porch seemed discouraged by this. "Jutht tell him I thaid hi, then."

I backed away from the door and dragged Karkat to the door. "Let me the [freak] go!"

I faced the mystery guy and he pulled Karkat into a hug, "Oh, Kk. I'm tho happy to thee you!" I felt my heartstrings tug a bit as the guy held tight. I fell foward to my knees. For some reason, I felt something tug at my heart. For some reason, I wanted to join the hug. It was as if something was telling me to. I managed to wobble back to my feet and pulled them apart.

"CC! What the [freak] are you doing?" Karkat said, but I ignored him and pulled the other guy into a kiss. My perception blurred so bad that I didn't realize what I did, or was doing, until he asked for permission to enter my mouth. Shocked, I pushed him away as quick as I could. I backed away from him, shaking my head. "CC! CC?"

I glanced at Karkat. I murmured, "I didn't... I... I didn't... mean... I didn't mean that."

"CC? Are you okay? CC? Can you hear?" He asked. I nodded just enough so that it was recognizable as one. "Sollux? What the [freak] did you do to my girlfriend?!"

_We're matesprits?_ I questioned inside my head. _Sollux? Captor?_ "Sollux Captor?" The guy turned his head.

"What'th it to ya?"

"I hate you!" I screamed. I was still able to slap him, though, which I did. I pushed him down the porch steps. He stopped being pushed after he hit grass. By that point, I was crying, barely making him move. I stood there, sobbing and throwing weak punches at him. I kept crying as he pulled me into a hug. If I could, I would replay the next scene over and over. It all happened so fast that I barely caught it all.

Karkat grabbed my shoulder and pulled me away. I felt like I weighed nothing compared to his strength. He pulled me into a kiss that was so deep and passionate that I thought I was in some different reality.

* * *

"Have you been listening to me?" Izzy asked. I shook my head a bit, erasing my thoughts.

"Sorry," I blushed. I couldn't stop thinking of the fantasy that replayed in my head.

"I was talking about whatever, then my weirdo cousin came. And we all know how that went. Awkward. Am I right, Hope?" Izzy turned to the girl who happily ate two pieces of pizza at once. She nodded. "Then I came to topic of crushes when you zoned out, CC. I thought I'd catch you up to speed."

"Wait!" I screamed. Everyone froze. "What day is today?"

"Are you serious right now, Car?" Hope said after she swallowed. I giggled a bit at my nickname. Hope said it's spelled like "car", but pronounced like "care".

"I am quite serious," I said, monotone.

"Oh, well. It's Friday," Izzy said slowly.

"[Gosh dang] it. It needs to be [freaking] tomorrow already," I paused. I glanced around. There were two pizza boxes, making me remember the fact that Karkat, or her cousin because I didn't know if that was his real name anymore, took a pizza upstairs. I stood up and ran up the stairs, two at a time, until I tripped and busted open my lip. I put my finger on it as I walked one at a time up the rest of the staircase. I didn't pay attention to Izzy's, or Hope's, yells for me to stop.

I didn't want to hold my breath, but I hoped to see Izzy's cousin sitting at the kitchen table. I smiled, removing my finger when I did indeed see him sitting there. I walked over to him, swinging my arms around his neck, "Oh, Karkat. I'm so happy to see you again."

"Again?" he asked as he pushed me away. I noticed that his hair was actually brown, but looked black in the dim light of the dining room the first time I saw him. "And who's Karkat?" I took a double take.

"What do you mean 'who's Karkat'? Your name is Karkat. That's what you told me!" I took a step back, into the light. My eyes reflected in his eyes. I blinked back the tears.

"I theriothly don't know who Karkat ith," he said. I picked up on his lisp this time.

"Sollux? You're Sollux? SOLLUX?!" I shouted towards the end.

Mrs. Lambert cut in, "Um, CC? I think now would be a good time to go back to the basement. Okay?"

I turned and started to leave, but I heard her cousin call out, "It'th Thollux Captor."


	4. New Hope

...

I turned and started to leave, but I heard her cousin call out, "It'th Thollux Captor." I stopped for a second before I wiped a tear and continued to the basement. I sat down on the couch, curling myself into a ball. I sobbed silently for three minutes before my sobs became audible. I shiver entered my back as Izzy sat on my right side and Hope on my left.

"Girl, CC, tell me what is the matter?" Izzy asked, swinging an arm around my shoulder. I brushed my wrist against my face to clear the tears. My sobs became a full-out mental break down. I cried until I literally couldn't cry anymore. Hope had hushed me and rubbed my back as Izzy hugged me during the whole process. I started humming the one song that I felt was important to me at the time, _Until the End_ by Breaking Benjamin.

I started at the beginning, humming the intro slower than how it is. I sped up as I approached the first verse. I sung the chorus softly,

"_Why give up, why give in?_  
_It's not enough, it never is._  
_So I will go on until the end._  
_We've become desolate._  
_It's not enough, it never is._  
_But I will go on until the end_." I sunk backwards into the couch, pinning Hope's arm down. She pulled it out with a bit of force. I stood up with a single motion. I blinked back the stale tears. "That's [freaking] it! I'm gonna tell him."

"Who?" Hope asked.

"It doesn't matter," I dismissed.

"Then why not tell us?" Izzy asked.

"If I told you, you would just disagree," I said, climbing the stairs once more. I paused at the top before I swung the door open.

"Geeth. Knock me out while you're at it," a voice behind the door said. I quickly closed the door after I moved myself out-of-the-way.

"Sorry," I muttered.

"What do you want now?" He asked with an underlying tone of hate. "Ith it about my name? Are you gonna tell me my name ithn't Thollux, but thome other [crap]?"

"No. I wanted to talk to you for just a moment."

"Well, what?" He crossed his arms.

"I just wanted know how your related to Izzy," I said, thinking of possible relations.

"I'm not," he said, turning away. "I'm adopted." My heart broke a bit.

"If it's any consultation, I never knew my parents either." I put my hand on his shoulder. I felt him shiver a bit before turning to me.

"Really? Are you theriouth?" I nodded. "Well, we could be related then."

I shook my head, "I don't think so. I was my parents only child. That's what my aunt and uncle say." I blinked back the all-present tears. "They adopted me after I was the only survivor of a car crash." I tensed as he pulled me into a hug.

"Oh, CC! I'm tho thorry. I never thought..." He paused as he shook, trying to hold back a sob. I wrapped my arms around him. He stared into my eyes. His blue eyes seemed off like one was darker than the other. He placed his forehead against mine. I had to tilt my head, so that we stayed like that because he has a good six inches on me. He leaned a bit closer and I did as well. I gently placed my lips against his slightly shaking lips. He pushed forward a bit. I held back for a second before I pushed just the same. I hadn't realized the door swung open until...

"What the [freak] are you doing?! Let go of my cousin!" Izzy shouted. We pushed away at the same time, which caused me to stumble. Sollux grabbed my hand as I fell. My momentum made us fall together. We ended the tumbling, such that he was kneeling over my body. "What the [heck]?! Get away from MY COUSIN!" Izzy shouted as she dragged me from under Sollux. I pulled myself out of her grasp after I was a good ten feet away. I shook my head as I stood up. I walked to the front door. "Where do you think you're going?!"

I pulled my combat boots that I always wore. I shoved my jean legs down my boot as I opened the door. "Where are you going, CC? GET BACK HERE!" Izzy shouted as I walked out into the cold with no coat, just a long sleeve black shirt. As soon as I was out of her neighborhood, I ran to downtown. I slowed down when I get near my favorite coffee shop. I smiled as I opened the door, hearing the familiar ding and smelling the strong black coffee. I walked in and order my usual, a large black coffee. I waited for about a minute before I grabbed the warm cup and sat down on my favorite couch.

I curled up a bit as a guy who worked there sat near me. "So w-why are you here? W-why w-would a beautiful girl like yourself be here alone?"

I rolled my eyes, "Eridan, we've been over this. I'm not interested in you. Plain and simple."

"Come on, Can. You know-w that I'm irresistable."

I giggled as I rolled my eyes, "That's exactly why you don't have a girlfriend."

"Hey! It's not my fault if Fef broke it off. She couldn't handle it all."

"I see. Now explain to me, why does she have a better boyfriend now?"

"She... She w-what?!" I pointed to Feferi and a new guy she was obviously flirting with. "Oh cod. W-why doesn't anybody like me?"

"Hey! I like you," his face lit up, "just not that much." He frowned a bit, which made me add, "But that doesn't mean you're out of the runnings." He smiled a bit as I sipped some of the dark deliciousness.

"You know-w Can, I really appreciate you talking to me. Ewen if it w-was for a short time."

"What are you taking about?" He pointed to the front window behind me. I spun around to see Izzy peeking inside. We locked eyes and I knew I was dead meat.


	5. Kissed Once More

**Sorry about not updating recently... I was busy with other fanfic, A Long Time Ago. It is really complicated. I'm working on that and school and this and it is like a big wave of junk piling up! So i'm kinda swithching between them right now.  
**

* * *

...

We locked eyes and I knew I was dead meat. I turned back to Eridan. I said the only thing that I could think of to get Izzy away, "Eridan, you gotta kiss me."

"W-what?" I placed my coffee on the nearby table.

"You heard me, you fish-boy. Now kiss me!" I grabbed the coffee shop worker's collar and pulled him into a kiss as the bell dinged.

"Wh-what ith going on HERE?!" I pushed away the awe-struck teen worker. I spun to face Izzy and Sollux.

"It's not what it looks like," I tried to defend myself.

"It lookth like your tongue wath half-way down Ed'th throat." _Okay, so it does look like what you thought_, I thought. I stood up to get on a more even playing field.

"I told you to stay the [heck] away from my COUSIN!" Izzy cut in, dragging me to the floor. I barely missed the sharp corner of the table on the way down. I let her foot connect with my rib cage a few times before I got pissed. I grabbed her ankle and pulled her to the floor, similar to me moments ago. I climbed to my feet as she realized what just happened. I wiped the blood from my mouth as I grabbed my coffee.

"Oh cod. I'll call 9-1-1," Eridan finally said. His footsteps sounded as he went behind the counter and grabbed the phone. I sipped some of the still hot beverage before I started coughing. It was a wet cough, leading to me spitting blood and saliva on the glazed concert floor.

"Oh geeth, CC. That ith not good," Sollux pointed out. I did my best to glare at him as I fell forward to my knees. I wiped my already bloody sleeve once more across my dripping mouth. Somehow, Izzy stood up and pulled me to the couch. I was still coughing, spitting blood on the floor. Sirens echoed as a paramedic burst into the small café. He dragged a stretcher behind him.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say the girl on the couch needs the help," the paramedic asked to no one in particular. I nodded as more blood dripped from my chin. He walked over and asked me, "Can you tell me what happened?" I recalled the event, starting at Izzy yelling at me for kissing Sollux, until he was fully caught up. I pulled my vibrating phone out of my pocket and found a text.

"HeY! wHaT hApPeNeD? i HeArD sIrEnS." I smiled at reading the text, but didn't answer it because a few nosy people were looking over my shoulder. I slipped my phone back into my back pocket as I walked to the ambulance, following the paramedic. Another paramedic strapped me down to the stretcher as the first one closed the back doors. I closed my eyes and listened to the sirens wail as we drove to the nearest hospital. I slightly sighed as I realized the aftermath of it all.

_Eridan will be heartbroken after hearing Izzy's story_, I thought. _Sollux will never trust me again. Izzy already hates me, so how much more pain can I give? How much more can I take?_ I pondered the last question, wondering if I had a limit. _Of course, you__ have a limit. Everyone does._ "Even Sollux," I muttered, but sirens drowned my quiet apologize to the world. _I'm such a [jerk (b-word)]_, I reasoned._ That's why no one like me_. I felt a guilty ping of self-pity. I knew deep down inside of myself, I was the only anyone should ever hate, not pity. I turned my head a bit as we round what felt like the ninth right turn. I cried silently as I coughed again.

When I finally reached the hospital, they undressed me and called my parents. No one showed up for half an hour later. As I wheeled away, my phone went off. I could read the caller id. I looked away from my phone as it went black once more. I didn't want to talk to her.

* * *

I woke up to the sounds of a heart montior.  
"CC, I didn't..." Izzy's voice cleared out the white noise. I turned to my left to see her in a blue dress. "I didn't mean any of it."

"IZ, don't beat yourthelf up about it. Thhe'th alright now," Sollux said, rubbing Izzy's back. A vibration sounded as I grabbed what was making the noise. I looked at my hand to see my phone. I had eleven unread messages. I looked at the first one.

"Wwhere are you" Eridan. I smiled at the name. Although he was a jerk sometimes, he was a great friend.

"CC, whatcha got there?" Izzy asked as she tried to look at my private messages. I pulled my phone close to my chest. "I said I was sorry."

I texted her a message, saying, "You almost killed me! :(" Sollux just frowned when he saw the message.

"Jutht don't," was all he said. I shooed them away. I wanted to be alone, but that didn't happen. When they left, someone else came in. It was the doctor to remove my tube that was in my throat. Once he had said goodbye, another person took his spot besides my bed. I wasn't facing the door, or them, so I didn't know who it was until they spoke.

"Hey, there. How-w are you recoverin'?" He asked in his wavy accent. I turned my head and smiled. He can be the center of drama, but he does care about his friends. "I got ya flowers. The w-weird nurse said it was cute 'n' all." I sniffled them, but not too much. I certainly didn't want my lungs to overfill. He kissed the top of my head as I read the card.

"I got you these because you like stuff that's beautiful like yourself.  
I hope you get wwell soon. You're need in my life.  
I can't let you slip through my fingers, too.  
Wwith lowe like alwways,  
Eridan". He wiped a tear away from my eyes that I didn't realize where there.

He kissed the top of my head once more, before he said, "You'll be my little ocean alw-ways. I lowe you w-with all my heart. I don't care w-what you say. I w-will lowe you until I die." I blushed as he kissed my cheek. I placed my hand on the right of his face. He placed his hand on top of it, then kissed it. I pulled it away. This caused Eridan to look away, thinking it was a sign that I didn't like him like that.

"You know you're silly?" I smiled as I pulled him into a long-lasting kiss. When we released, there was a deep understanding that fell between us.

"And you're beautiful." He smiled as he sat down on my bed. "I should get ya some good food. None of this hospital [crap]." He pushed the tray away.

I grabbed my phone and pulled up the text and showed him. I giggled a bit as I said, "I'm guessing you know now?"

"HONK!" I spun a bit to see Gamzee walk in.

"Gamzee! You're here!" I said, almost to excited to contain it.

"Yep. And I brought Karbro along," he smiled his stoner smiled.

"Kar-who?" I asked as a guy shorter than the 6'2" clown by at least six inches walked in. He waved, then leaned against the far wall.

"Oh, don't mind Kar. He's just grumpy all the time. He is such a bummer sometimes," Eridan reassured me. "And hey, Gam. How-w is it goin'?"

"Mother[freaking] miracles." They talked while I stared at the familiar character.

"Will you stop [freaking] staring at me?!" He shouted. I looked away slowly to Gamzee, then to Eridan.

"Woah, there, Karbro. You need to all up 'n' chill, mother[freaker]."

"She has stared at me for ten minutes now! I will not 'chill'!"

I didn't now what to say or do, "Just leave." Everyone froze for a moment. Gamzee got out of the chair he was in and Eridan stood up. "Karbro" left first, followed by Gamzee. When Eridan was about to leave, I said, "You stay." He closed the door and sat in the chair. He moved closer and kissed my hand.

"I'm sorry about Kar. He's just..."

I cut in, "I know. He's just like that all the time. I get that. I thought he would at least say, 'Get well' or something. Anything really. He could have done anything, but he just stared at the floor since he entered." He gave my hand a little reassuring squeeze. I waited in silence for an answer, but only the door sounded.

"Hey, CC. I..." There was a long pause. "What ith thith!" I stared at Sollux as he entered the room. "Why ith he holding your hand, CC? Anthwer me!" I remained silent.

I had chosen, at first it was great, but "It put me in the hospital."

"W-what?!" Eridan pulled his hand away. "I did not put you into the hospital!" He blushed and looked away.

"Not you," I said, facing Eridan. I turned to Sollux, "You did. It's your fault. You could have just let me run away. Just left me alone, but you had to chase after me."

"It wathn't me that ran after you. IZ did."

"She what? But then why did she..." Eridan looked back to me.

"Thhe felt bad. I gueth thhe went crazy when thhe thaw you again. I don't know why thhe did it." I couldn't argue with that, so I closed my mouth. I felt like I was halved. One side believed Sollux and the other thought he was lying to save his own [butt]. "If you want, athk her yourthelf." He side-stepped to show Izzy behind him.


End file.
